It would be hard not to love the lush and vibrant paintings of Jason Ostro and Andrea LaHue. The pair presented both solo works and collaborative pieces at Art on Scene in May, works that evoke stained glass.
Above, the pair pose by two of LaHue’s floral works.
LaHue’s florals and Ostro’s mosaic-like, geometric patterns are stunners alone and in combination; both cutting edge and traditionally beautiful at the same time. Their show at the Sunset Blvd. gallery offered an exuberant chance to see both artists’ take on the natural world physically and emotionally.
Titled Flower & Flow, the exhibition touched on both elements with grace – flowing floral paintings by LaHue, flowering patterns in Ostro’s flowy abstract patterns.
Above, Ostro’s work captures a stunning pattern and sensibility of leaves and petals. Below, LaHue’s irises dazzle with impressionistic brush strokes that evoke the texture of the flowers themselves.
With a rich palette that created a kind of art garden, the two artists played off of one another’s subjects, colors, and styles; the several collaborative pieces worked a visual magic with their layered approach.
The love both artists feel for their subjects, and for working together is quite literally palpable. Such a sense of respect for and immersion in the natural world, and each other’s diverse yet complimentary styles is visually delicious and emotionally satisfying.
Above and below, a wall of Ostro’s work is like a series of mosaics fused with stained glass.
The collaborative work below says it all: the tiled and petaled look of Ostro’s background is a perfect compliment to LaHue’s delicate blossoms.
In a world in which there is often these days too little that is delicate, beautiful, and blissful, the two artists both together and separately have created a body of work that resonates with the heart as well as the mind.
- Genie Davis, photos: Genie Davis